Bring All Commercial Dog Breeders Under Federal Oversight!

In May, Senators Durbin and Vitter and Rep. Farr introduced the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act to bring all commercial dog breeders in the United States under federal oversight.

Currently, only breeders who sell their dogs to brokers or pet stores are required to be licensed and inspected by the USDA. If passed, the PUPS Act would require any breeder who sells or offers to sell more than 50 dogs annually directly to the public—including over the Internet—to also be licensed and inspected.

The bill would also require all dog breeders licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act to exercise every dog every day, including allowing the dogs to reach a running stride without the use of treadmills or similar devices.

Please email your senators and representative today and ask them to support and cosponsor the PUPS Act!

In May, Senators Durbin and Vitter and Rep. Farr introduced the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act, S. 3424/H.R. 5434, to bring all dog commercial breeders under federal oversight. Currently, only breeders who sell their dogs to brokers or pet stores are required to be licensed and inspected by the USDA. The PUPS Act would require any breeder who sells or offers to sell more than 50 dogs annually directly to the public--including over the Internet--to also be licensed and inspected.

The bill would also require all breeders licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act to exercise every dog every day, including allowing the dogs to reach a running stride without the use of treadmills or similar devices. Commercial breeders often keep their dogs in tiny cages for their entire lives. Requiring exercise could dramatically improve the lives of thousands of dogs being confined by the commercial breeding industry.In light of the recent Office of Inspector General report on the lax enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by USDA, it is now more critical than ever that all commercial dog breeders be subject to federal inspection. Given the horrific conditions that were cited in currently regulated commercial breeding facilities, one can only imagine how bad conditions may be in unlicensed facilities. I fully support more consistent and aggressive enforcement of the present law. Moreover, the PUPS Act will ensure that all commercial breeders are held to the same standards, regardless of the method by which puppies are sold.

Again, I respectfully request that you support and cosponsor S. 3424/H.R. 5434 if you have not already done so. Thank you for your time and consideration.

In light of the recent Office of Inspector General report on the lax enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by USDA, it is now more critical than ever that all commercial dog breeders be subject to federal inspection. Given the horrific conditions that were cited in currently regulated commercial breeding facilities, one can only imagine how bad conditions may be in unlicensed facilities. I fully support more consistent and aggressive enforcement of the present law. Moreover, the PUPS Act will ensure that all commercial breeders are held to the same standards, regardless of the method by which puppies are sold.
Again, I respectfully request that you support and cosponsor S. 3424/H.R. 5434 if you have not already done so. Thank you for your time and consideration.